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[lesmore49]

Some great shots.

I like that '62 Pontiac 4 dr. HT and the Firebird with the SOHC inline six, not a common engine for the Firebird.

I'm Canadian, but I do recall '50's and '60's Pontiacs very well. Both kinds...American Pontiacs and Canadian Pontiacs.

The 'American' Pontiacs as we used to call them in Canada, had Pontiac drivetrains..the Pontiac V8.

However, through the '50's and '60's the Canadian market Pontiacs we got up here, were Pontiac bodies on Chevy frames with Chevy drivetrains. That would be everything from the inline GMC six (261) and smaller Chevy six, the small block V8 (265,283,327, 350) , the W series big blocks (348, 409) and the Rat motor BB V8's...396, 402, 427, 454. We called the Canadian market Pontiac- Chevies...'Canadian' Pontiacs.

Growing up I spent my summers (2 months a year) in Northern Minnesota for a number of years, and of course in Minnestoa and North Dakota, saw the 'American' Pontiacs with the Pontiac V8 engines..287, 317, 326, 371, 389, 400, 421, 428 throughout the '50's/'60's.

The car bodies were pretty well the same, but the model names were different and the Canadian Pontiacs did not have the U.S. Pontiac wide track, rear axle.

I don't know why GM did this, but it made for some interesting combinations.

Thank you for posting your photos. The '62 'American' Pontiac triggered some pleasant memories of Pontiac cars on both sides of the border, of the '50's and '60's for me.

Les

[Tonytee]

Very awesome series of some very beautiful automobiles. The times were long ago, but the memories return PDQ. ) Thanks a bunch.

TT

[paulh]

Some nice old Ponchos - and one Olds . I had that SOHC six in my old '66 LeMans. It actually had some decent power for everyday-type driving. TFS, Steve!

[wtlwdwgn]

Some great shots.

I like that '62 Pontiac 4 dr. HT and the Firebird with the SOHC inline six, not a common engine for the Firebird.

I'm Canadian, but I do recall '50's and '60's Pontiacs very well. Both kinds...American Pontiacs and Canadian Pontiacs.

The 'American' Pontiacs as we used to call them in Canada, had Pontiac drivetrains..the Pontiac V8.

However, through the '50's and '60's the Canadian market Pontiacs we got up here, were Pontiac bodies on Chevy frames with Chevy drivetrains. That would be everything from the inline GMC six (261) and smaller Chevy six, the small block V8 (265,283,327, 350) , the W series big blocks (348, 409) and the Rat motor BB V8's...396, 402, 427, 454. We called the Canadian market Pontiac- Chevies...'Canadian' Pontiacs.

Growing up I spent my summers (2 months a year) in Northern Minnesota for a number of years, and of course in Minnestoa and North Dakota, saw the 'American' Pontiacs with the Pontiac V8 engines..287, 317, 326, 371, 389, 400, 421, 428 throughout the '50's/'60's.

The car bodies were pretty well the same, but the model names were different and the Canadian Pontiacs did not have the U.S. Pontiac wide track, rear axle.

I don't know why GM did this, but it made for some interesting combinations.

Thank you for posting your photos. The '62 'American' Pontiac triggered some pleasant memories of Pontiac cars on both sides of the border, of the '50's and '60's for me.

Les

Very awesome series of some very beautiful automobiles. The times were long ago, but the memories return PDQ. ) Thanks a bunch.

TT

Some nice old Ponchos - and one Olds . I had that SOHC six in my old '66 LeMans. It actually had some decent power for everyday-type driving. TFS, Steve!

Thanks Les, Tony, and Paul.

Les, I looked it up and found that the Canadian Pontiacs were also named Laurentians. I distantly remember GM giving some of their cars different brand names for their Canadian customers.

[lesmore49]

Thanks Les, Tony, and Paul.

Les, I looked it up and found that the Canadian Pontiacs were also named Laurentians. I distantly remember GM giving some of their cars different brand names for their Canadian customers.

You're right and I never could figure out the market differences...as to why they had them in the first place.

On our family farm in Western Canada, one of our grain trucks (the spare) was a '48 Fargo one ton..with medium duty wheels, extra leafs in the suspension, long box, etc. It was the same as the Dodge truck...but the Fargo was sold by Canadian Plymouth dealers, the Dodge by Dodge dealers.

In our family business we had a '68 Mercury truck...an M250...3/4 ton...300 inline six, three on the tree. These were Canadian market only trucks...Fords really with badging and trim differences.

Laurentians for I think, Catalina...then Strato Chiefs for Star Chiefs...Parisienne for Bonneville...Gran Prix for Gran Prix and instead of Tempest, the Canadian market had the Beaumont, which was based on the Chevelle and the Acadian was based on the Chevy ll.

I saw very few G.T.O.'s in the mid '60's...the Canadian Pontiac mid sized performance car was the Beaumont SD with the 396 (325, 350 and 375 HP versions) . It was essentially a Chevelle SS 396...a badge engineered Chevelle SS.

However, the Firebird was the Firebird and the Canadian version was the same as the American version...even with Pontiac engines...350 Poncho, 400 Poncho, etc.

I saw my first and only early G.T.O. in '64 during a holiday in Chicago...this would of been sometime in March/April '64. We knew about G.T.O.'s through American car magazines...but I never saw one up here, till about '67-'68, when Canadian Pontiac dealers started selling them up here. We do see early GTO cars now, usually guys who have bought them in the states over the years and they are an important part of the car show hobby up here.

Les

[Sailor]

Terrific series, Steve. I knew (at different times) a couple of people with Firebirds powered by the SOHC six. Ironically, both cars were the same metallic blue and had 3-speed manual transmissions. I dimly remember an article in one of the big car mags of the day in which the author tested a new Firebird with the six, a 4-speed and a sport suspension option; the guy claimed it was the most balanced, best-handling Firebird available - for what that was worth. Interestingly, I read a similar article more recently that compared the current Mustang GT with the ECO 4 version equipped with the GT suspension; the author declared that the 4-cyl car was a better "canyon carver" owing to its lower weight and better weight distribution.

Again, cool shots!

Jer

---------- Post added 07-21-2019 at 04:38 PM ----------

You're right and I never could figure out the market differences...as to why they had them in the first place. . . . . .

Les

Hey, Les - not to hijack Steve's thread, but when visiting Canada in the '50s, I remember seeing what looked like Dodges with Plymouth rear ends (or maybe it was the other way around). Sounds like an expensive way to differentiate U.S. and Canadian models - seems like different names would have been cheaper!

Jer

[wtlwdwgn]

Terrific series, Steve. I knew (at different times) a couple of people with Firebirds powered by the SOHC six. Ironically, both cars were the same metallic blue and had 3-speed manual transmissions. I dimly remember an article in one of the big car mags of the day in which the author tested a new Firebird with the six, a 4-speed and a sport suspension option; the guy claimed it was the most balanced, best-handling Firebird available - for what that was worth. Interestingly, I read a similar article more recently that compared the current Mustang GT with the ECO 4 version equipped with the GT suspension; the author declared that the 4-cyl car was a better "canyon carver" owing to its lower weight and better weight distribution.

Again, cool shots!

Jer

Thanks Jer! Back in the day I believe it was Car and Driver mag that installed the Pontiac OHC six in an E-Type Jaguar. Caused quite a ruckus but they said the Jag was all the better with the Pontiac engine.

[lesmore49]

Terrific series, Steve. I knew (at different times) a couple of people with Firebirds powered by the SOHC six. Ironically, both cars were the same metallic blue and had 3-speed manual transmissions. I dimly remember an article in one of the big car mags of the day in which the author tested a new Firebird with the six, a 4-speed and a sport suspension option; the guy claimed it was the most balanced, best-handling Firebird available - for what that was worth. Interestingly, I read a similar article more recently that compared the current Mustang GT with the ECO 4 version equipped with the GT suspension; the author declared that the 4-cyl car was a better "canyon carver" owing to its lower weight and better weight distribution.

Again, cool shots!

Jer

---------- Post added 07-21-2019 at 04:38 PM ----------



Hey, Les - not to hijack Steve's thread, but when visiting Canada in the '50s, I remember seeing what looked like Dodges with Plymouth rear ends (or maybe it was the other way around). Sounds like an expensive way to differentiate U.S. and Canadian models - seems like different names would have been cheaper!

Jer

Forgot about those. We called them 'Plodges.'

Les

[eaglem]

some very nice machinery there

[Janse]

Great shooting!

[wtlwdwgn]

Thanks to all.